Repeat Performance
by Samantha Bridges
Summary: Chapter Nine.... Bet you'll never guess what movie I watched this weekend after you read it. Sorry, I gave away the end of the movie too. Anyhoo, Grissom pays Gerri a visit, to have a little chat about the case and other things. R&R, please.
1. Homecoming

Yep, trying a new genre now. Anyhoo, as always, the normal disclaimers apply. The characters that are not mine don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for a bit. those characters that are mine, are well, mine. Please read, and hopefully enjoy. Feedback is encouraged. Thanks!

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Dark, boiling clouds built on the horizon, edging over the mountaintops and into the valley below. Gerri Simms shaded her eyes from the sun and eyed the growing clouds, watching and listening intently for any sign of lightning and thunder. Jamie was having a pool party this afternoon, celebrating a friend's birthday. She looked back to the pool, hearing joyful shrieks from the girls. She was just in time to see Daisy jump into the pool to join Frank. The beagles paddled in the pool, heading for Jamie and licking everyone who got in their way. They reached the shallows right as Gerri heard the first far-off crack of thunder. Another wary glance at the clouds and she pulled her air horn out. She knew the girls hadn't heard because of their shrieking and most were hearing impaired. A few quick blasts on the air horn gathered their attention and they dutifully splashed their way out of the pool. Giggles followed as they grabbed towels and tromped inside the house. More thunder followed as Gerri tried to catch the dogs to dry them off before they got all over the carpet. Gerri felt a strange chill run through her as she closed the French doors and looked out again at the mountains and the coming storm. She ignored it and followed the beagles into the laundry room, where they obediently got in their crates. She closed the door and turned off the light, heading down the hall to gather wet swimsuits and towels from Jamie and her friends. She returned to the laundry room after starting a movie in the den for them. Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn't place it. She put the worry aside and seated herself in the recliner in the den, watching the Disney movie over the heads of seven little girls. If only things could stay this right in the world.

*****

The rain was coming down harder that night as Gerri arrived at her destination. She sat in the Excursion for a few minutes, letting the rhythmic thump of the windshield wipers and the drum of the rain lull her into a state of calm. She cut the engine, halting Bruce Springstein in the middle of a line from "Walking in Memphis". She grabbed her purse and her umbrella and took the keys from the ignition. She cracked the door open and pushed the umbrella out the top edge, thumbing the button on it to unfurl it. She jumped down and slammed the door, locking the doors with the key fob and setting the alarm and beginning her dash across the parking lot. She ducked in the doorway and shook her umbrella off gently on the mat. She looked up and grinned at the poor soul that got to man the front desk. 

"Tis a little soggy out tonight." she laughed, closing the strap on the umbrella and deftly reaching into her purse for her wallet and ID. "I'm here to see Gil Grissom."

The girl nodded and tried to smile. The humor had gone out of her job a long time ago. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Yeah. I'm Gerri Simms, supposedly the new CSI." she slid the ID across the counter as the girl smiled and picked up the phone. Lissie leaned against the counter and listened as she spoke to the person on the other end and looked at Gerri's ID. She handed it back as she hung up the phone and pulled a visitor's badge out of the drawer, along with a sheet of paper. 

"You'll need this," she tapped the badge with a pencil, "And fill out this form. Name, date, etc.. Sign at the bottom." Gerri did as directed and clipped the badge to her coat's lapel. "Mr. Grissom will have be up here in just a moment to escort you back." And with that, she turned back to her computer terminal, now ignoring Gerri. 

Gerri continued to lean against the desk and fingered the laminated badge. As promised, someone appeared up front to collect her. Fortunately, it was someone she knew, she grinned as Catherine Willows came through the doors into the lobby.

"Back to cause us more trouble, aren't you Gerri?" asked Catherine, hugging her old friend.

"Always. I'm sure Gil is just thrilled to have me too." she laughed, grabbing her umbrella and adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Since he figured out that it was you, and not someone he'd never met before, it's been a split between rejoicing and complaining. But, I think he's glad to have you. Come on, I'll take you back, we can drop your stuff in your locker and then I'll throw you to the wolf."

A laugh from Gerri as she followed Catherine back through the door. "Gee, my very own locker, I guess that means I can't back out now."

*****

For all she had prepared herself for this, Gerri still fidgeted in her chair as she watched Gil flip through her personnel file. She looked around his office, noting that he had added to his collection. He finally closed the file and looked across the desk to her. The silence was tense as they watched each other intently, neither one really knowing what to say. They sat there like that until the silence was shattered by his office door open and his Big Mouth Billy Bass broke into a rendition of "Take Me To The River." Gerri giggled, glad for the interruption as Sara stuck her head in to address Grissom.

"Hey, Brass just called. He's got a dead body out off of I-15." she stopped and looked at Gerri. "Um… Hello. Sorry bout that." Sara reddened and ducked back out the door. Gil rose from his chair and motioned for Gerri to do the same. 

"First night, first case." he headed for the door, but stopped and went back to the desk. He looked at Gerri and handed her a large padded envelope. "I forgot. Badge, gun, light, etc. Welcome to the Las Vegas CSI."

She took the envelope and quickly removed the contents, mentally reminding herself to get her holster out of her locker before they left. "Thanks, Gil."

He waved it off and headed for the door, she trotted to catch up to him and made a quick dash into the locker room before he made it out the front doors. It was still raining as she headed out to the Tahoe with Gil and Sara. She sat in one of the middle seats, watching Gil as he drove. Finally, Sara turned around and asked the dreaded question.

"So, where'd you come from? And how did this guy manage to lure you here?"

"Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was up for lead there, but my ex was moving back here, and I didn't think that such a distance would be good on our daughter." she added all of that for Gil's benefit and saw his reaction in the rearview mirror. Gil didn't lure me, the sheriff did. I don't think that Gil would've asked me to come if he had a choice in the first place."

"Ahhh, I see. I'm Sara Sidle, one of his former students. He got me out here from San Francisco to investigate Warrick." Sara grinned, while Gil glared at her. "Why wouldn't Gil want you here of his own free will?"

Before Gerri could answer, Gil spoke up. "Because she likes to ruin my life." he made a quick right turn and glimpsed Gerri's angry face in the mirror as they passed under a streetlamp. _Well, she deserves it._ he thought, ignoring them as he turned onto the highway. Fifteen minutes of silence later, they arrived at a dirt turnoff where a police cruiser sat. Gil pulled up and flashed his ID to the officer standing by his vehicle. He was waved through and they bumped their way down the road. They pulled next to Brass's car in a cloud of dust.

"Nice of you to come join us." Brass greeted them as they got out of the Tahoe. He saw Gerri and introduced himself. "Jim Brass, homicide. Don't I know you?" he asked, studying her features in the weak evening light. The rain had reduced itself to an infrequent drizzle by now, adding a chill to the desert air.

"Probably. You ran CSI when I was last out here. Gerri Simms."

"That's right, you were Gil's girlfriend. Nice to have you back here again." Brass glanced over at Gil, and judging from the look he received, the girlfriend status was no longer valid. "The body's over here." he waved and led them through the brush.

Sara walked next to Gerri. "You dated Grissom? And I thought he wasn't capable of such a thing."

"Gerri shrugged. "Yeah. He was capable, but the job has gotten to him. I left and married my ex-husband when Gil decided not to commit." she shook her head, remembering. "It wouldn't have worked for us anyway, we were both too married to our jobs to be concerned with our feelings for each other."

Sara considered that for a moment. "Do you still have feelings for him?" she asked, catching Gerri's arm before they got into hearing range of Brass and Grissom, who had reached the dead body.

Before she thought the word had slipped form her lips. "Yes." _Do I really?_ she asked herself, wondering as she stared at him as he crouched next to the body.

Sara released her arm. "Well, there's always a second chance." Gerri stared at the younger woman, and then the moment was gone. "Come on, time to meet your first dead body in Vegas."

*****


	2. Smoke On The Water

Gerri hesitated as she approached the autopsy lab. When they had arrived back at the lab, Grissom had made the comment that 'Everyone should experience an autopsy on their first night.' as he left Gerri standing in the kitchen. Gerri shook her head, feeling that there was some pain beneath that off hand remark, but didn't dig. She had learned that a long time ago, if Gil didn't want to share with her, then she'd better not press the subject. Gerri had quickly drained a cup of coffee and had headed down the hall. Now she stood outside the lab doors, wondering why she was still out here. Before she could move, one of the doors opened and Grissom leaned out, startling her.

"Are you coming in or not, Gerri?" his voice held no amusement, and neither did his eyes as he stared at her.

"Um, yeah." she stepped past him and into the lab, "Sorry." 

No reply came from Grissom as he released the door and let it swing shut. Gerri followed in his wake as he headed over to the stainless steel examination table. She looked down at it, completely unfazed by dead bodies after ten years. The deep cuts on the abdomen and arms did catch her attention. She moved close to the table and traced her finger in the air over the wounds, unaware of the stares she was receiving from the two men. She dropped her hand back to her side and stepped back, looking up at them.

"Okay, that was interesting." Grissom said as he handed her a pair of latex gloves. "Gerri, this is our night coroner, Dr. Al Robbins. Al, this is our new CSI, Gerri Simms."

"Pleased to meat you." he nodded to her, and then waved a hand at the body. "What was that whole tracing thing about?"

Gerri blushed, "Weird thing I picked up from our coroner in Cheyenne. It helps me get a feel for the body."

"Interesting. Okay, meet Jeffrey McKnight, age thirty two." Gil raised his eyebrow at the name. "He had ID on him. Driver's license in his sock." Robbins explained, and continued after receiving a nod form Grissom. "Stab wounds and deep cuts on the abdomen and forearms, most likely done post-mortem."

"So this," Gerri waved a hand over the numerous wounds, "Didn't kill him?"

"No. He went into anyphalitic shock."

This piqued Gil's interest. "From what?"

"Probably peanuts. Or peanut oil, it's easier to disguise in a drink or food. He has a Medical ID tag." 

Gerri looked at Gil and then back to Robbins. "This is way too easy guys, don't you think?"

Robbins nodded in agreement as Grissom stripped off his gloves and headed for the door, motioning for Gerri to follow him. "Things are not always what they seem."

*****

"Did you and Grissom find anything out from the autopsy?" Sara asked as she sat down at the table in the kitchen with Gerri.

Gerri sipped her coffee before replying. "Well, the guy didn't die from the stab wounds. He went into anyphalitic shock. He was allergic to peanuts."

"Surprise, surprise." replied Sara, grimacing at the bitter taste of the coffee. "I'd say crime of passion. Girlfriend, wife, or…"

"Or fiancee." announced Grissom, walking through the door to the kitchen. "Mr. McKnight got engaged two weeks ago to a Christine Blake. She was the last one to see Mr. McKnight before his untimely demise." He looked over at Gerri as she finished the last of the coffee. "Would you care to join me in paying Miss Blake a visit?"

"I'll be right there." she told Grissom's already retreating back. She looked at Sara who flashed her a thumbs up as she rose form her chair. 

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Sara called as Gerri walked out the door.

_Not a problem,_ Gerri assured herself as she once again headed out to the Tahoe, _Not a problem at all._

*****

His breathing was loud in the darkened room, so close to her face as she struggled against the bonds that held her to the bed. She felt the stubble on his face as he leaned in closer to whisper in her ear.

"Do you know what you did, Christine?" he asked in a harsh whisper, then he traced his tongue along her earlobe as she nodded. "Good." He pulled back to kneel above her on the bed, raising his weight off of her chest, allowing her to breathe momentarily. Her eyes went wide as she watched him pick the serrated knife up off the sheet next to her. He smiled, turning the knife and watching the limited light from the candles flash against it. He stopped and held it so he could see the reflection of her fear in it. He began to laugh softly as she resumed her struggle against her bonds. Useless, futile struggles but she tried anyway. He smiled, enjoying it, enjoying the pleasure that coursed through him. She was a valiant fighter, much more so than Jeffrey. Jeffrey had begged when he realized that he was going to die, Christine had fought back, and he bore the evidence of that fight proudly. He savored that pain as he drifted deeper into his own realm. The hard insistent knocking on the front door brought him crashing back to reality. He looked down and found Christine limp and unmoving beneath him. The monster inside had done it again. He quickly pulled on his clothes and grabbed his knife. He carefully opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the damp deck. He could hear voices below, around the front of the house. He quickly and quietly went down the wooden steps, and made his way across the rain soaked back lawn. He had reached the fence and vaulted himself over as a candle was tipped over in the bedroom he had just left. The resulting fire left a bright impression on his eyes as he turned back for a last glimpse. What was done was done, it was time for him to move on.

*****


	3. Watching You

Gerri stood on the front porch with Grissom as he knocked forcefully on the front door. The rain had begun to pick up again, causing Gerri to shiver. No one came to answer the door, even after Grissom had rung the bell and knocked repeatedly. The two of them stood on the porch, silhouetted by the dim porchlight. One final knock and Grissom began to step off the porch. Gerri had other ideas. She slipped her hand inside her jacket sleeve and reached for the doorknob. Grissom saw what she was doing and was about to reprimand her when the door slipped open.

Gerri stared at in surprise, momentarily stepping back. "I didn't do it." she assured Grissom as she stepped into the house.

"We aren't supposed to do this." Grissom reminded her as he followed her into the foyer. No light except that of the streetlamp outside illuminated the interior. The air felt heavy to Gerri as they moved through the house. Grissom had turned on his flashlight and was looking around the living room. He used the beam to illuminate the askew rug in front of the couch.

"There's been a struggle here." he walked carefully into the living room, eyeing the rug. Gerri followed, her flashlight beam sweeping over the furniture. Something tickled her throat and she coughed, shaking her head. Something compelled her to shine the light up the stairs that overlooked the living room. Smoke hung ominously in the hallway. 

"Hey, Gil, I think there's a fire." he looked at her and followed her beam. 

"Great." he muttered. "Miss Blake? Hello? We're criminalists and want to ask you a few questions. Miss Blake?"

No answer came to Grissom's calls. Gerri had gone into the kitchen and returned with a fire extinguisher. Gil glanced at it and they headed up the stairs. Gil calling all the way. They reached the bedroom where the smoke was originating. Gil checked the door for heat, and feeling none, carefully opened the door. The curtains covering the sliding glass door were aflame. Gerri immediately attacked the flames with the extinguisher. Grissom went over to the bed, spotting a body there. He stopped a few feet short as he saw the wounds that covered the woman's chest and abdomen.

"Fire's out." Gerri coughed from the smoke and looked over to Grissom. She carefully set the extinguisher on the carpet and came to stand next to him. "Uhhh…"

"I think Miss McKnight had a visitor."

*****

Crime scene tape cordoned the driveway and lights from police cruisers reflected from house windows. Sara ducked under the tape, carrying her tool case with her. She stepped in the front door and headed up the stairs. She found Gerri snapping away with the camera as she entered the room.

"Two dead bodies in one night. You're on a roll." Sara commented setting her case on the floor and pulling out a pair of gloves. "Where's Grissom?"

"Downstairs." replied Gerri as she tripped the shutter. "He's checking out the living room. We found signs of a struggle when we came in." she lowered the camera, looking at the body and frowning. "I think whoever killed Jeffrey killed her too."

"Well, that rules out the passion motive, unless Jeffrey swings that way." The charred curtains had caught Sara's eye. "Fire?"

"Yeah. I put them out with the extinguisher there." she pointed, letting the camera hang by her side on its strap. "I think it was ignited by the votive candle."

"Makes sense." Sara looked at the open sliding door and peered at the handle. "Hey look at this." Gerri came over and looked where Sara indicated.

"Blood." barely visible on the dark wood. Gerri brought the camera up and took a picture. "He probably knocked the candle over when he opened the door."

"Blood would be hers then, and there might be prints."

"Try pulling them. If we can't get any, maybe the lab can find latents." Gerri stepped through the open door out onto the deck. Rain sat in little beaded droplets from the waterproofing that had been applied to the wood. She looked around the yard from the high vantage point, her gaze finally coming to rest on the vacant lot behind the rear fence. Something besides the damp made her skin shiver as she stood there.

*****

He crouched in the overgrown brush of the vacant lot, watching the house. It was very exciting, almost being caught. He hadn't been able to watch them work when they found Jeffrey's body. So many things had gone wrong tonight with Christine. The least of which was the fire. _Shouldn't have put the candle so close to the drapes,_ he chided himself. His eyes grew wide as he watched a woman step through the sliding glass door and onto the deck. She was lovely, even through the rain and darkness. Not very tall, only about five three, slight build, and wonderful posture. He stopped breathing for a moment as her gaze swept across the backyard. She stared at the fenceline, her body backlit from the lights in the bedroom. She was perfect. He felt his stomach twist as she shivered and turned to go down the stairs. He watched her descend, elegant, poised- even in the middle of a murder investigation. Something she saw in her flashlight beam drew her across the concrete pad to the edge of the grass. Panic seized him as she knelt down, fingering the wet grass with her gloved hand. she called out for someone, and lifted the camera to her eye. He had forgotten about the footprints. He didn't think as he dropped the knife in the weeds and ran. Even as he ran, he knew he had to see her again.

*****

"Hey, Sara!" Gerri called as she shone her light across the wet grass. She could see indentations trailing across the yard. She looked up as Sara leaned over the deck railing with Grissom by her side. "I have footprints." she called upward, shining her light on the prints closest to her.

"Well, now we know which way he went." Grissom replied as he and Sara trotted down the stairs. 

"Yeah," Gerri half muttered, she had knelt back down and was leaning over, unrolling a tape measure next to the print. "Finally, I'm thankful for the rain." She snapped another set of photos and stood, brushing her damp knees. She illuminated the yard with her light and walked across it, next to the footprints. They stopped at the back fence. Sara shone her light on the rough wood, and reached out to indicate indents in it.

"He went over." she noted as Gerri took another photograph. She holstered the light and grinned at Gerri. "Help me?" 

"Sure. Be careful." she replied as crouched and interlaced her fingers to give Sara a boost over the fence. Grissom watched them, shaking his head.

"You always have to do things the hard way, don't you?" Grissom asked as Sara scrambled over the top of the fence.

"Which one of us?" Gerri asked, peering through a knothole as Sara dropped to the ground.

"Both of you." came the reply, Grissom was looking over the fence and shining his light down on Sara. "Five and half foot fence. Easy to go over if your trying to escape."

Sara had her light back on and was looking through the brush as Grissom played his beam across the rest of the lot. Gerri was stuck with her limited view through the knothole, as she couldn't see over the fence without jumping. She saw something glint below her as Grissom swept his beam along the fence.

"Sara, here." Gerri dangled her flashlight over the fence and onto the spot where she'd just seen the glint of metal. Sara came over and carefully removed a long serrated knife from the brush. Its bright stainless steel blade was covered with blood.

"Whoa, murder weapon." Sara said, standing and passing it to Grissom over the fence. Grissom watched as Sara boosted herself on a cross-member for the fence and pulled herself over, dropping neatly next to Gerri.

Grissom shone his beam on the knife examine it. Gerri looked at it, and grimaced.

"Now all we need is the killer."

*****


	4. Tequila Sunrise

The three CSIs stood on the porch, looking into the house through the open front door. Gerri was the first to step back inside and paused as she crossed the threshold.

"Take us through." Gil instructed as he and Sara waited to follow her into the house.

"She was expecting someone. She left the door unlocked, allowing our killer to enter easily." she moved behind the door and Sara and Grissom stepped inside. She lay a hand on the knob and pushed it shut. It went quietly on its hinges until it met the doorframe, where it creaked loudly. "He didn't close it all the way because it would alert her to his presence." Grissom watched her intently as she walked into the living room. "She is startled to see him, but she knows him and is not threatened by his presence."

"Until he grabs her, like this." Sara stepped towards Gerri, grabbing her and pulling Gerri towards her.

"She struggles, fights back. He's too strong for her, though." Gerri turned and looked up the stairs. "He takes her upstairs, where it can be private." she led the way up the stairs, and turned into the master bedroom where they had found the victim. "He subdues her and ties her to the bed."

"Rape?" asks Sara, looking at the bare bed, they had taken the body down to the lab already. 

"Maybe. More likely not, since his first victim was a male." Grissom points out, moving to stand beside Gerri. 

"he talks to her, prolongs the encounter. Tells her about Jeffrey." Gerri had closed her eyes, picturing the scene, putting herself in the room as an observer. "Then, he kills her. Slowly, the final cut is the one that kills her. Just like our other victim."

"yeah, but our other victim was found in the desert off of I-15. The killer had to transport him there, after he killed him." Sara looked at Gerri, "She was still here."

"We interrupted him, before he could leave with her body. He ran, leaving her here." she paused and looked up to Grissom, who was silent as he listened to her. "If he killed Christine here, it stands to say he killed Jeffrey in his house."

A confirming nod. "I have Warrick, Catherine, and Nick over there right now. We'll work the second body." he turned and walked out the door. "Which is back at the lab, where we should be."

*****

He knelt in the rear pew of the church, head bowed and lowered on his clasped hands. The dim light of the candle offerings flickered in the corner behind him, casting strange shadows on the church walls. The first rays of the sun gently illuminated the stained glass windows above him. He sat in silence for a few minutes, feeling the tears roll down his face. He lifted his face and opened his eyes to look towards the altar. A lone nun knelt in the front pew, counting rosary beads and saying the prayers that were so familiar to him. It brought the image of his mother when he was young whispering those same prayers. He swallowed and his lips cracked open, issuing forth whispered words.

"Forgive me Father, for what I am about to do." he crossed himself and rose from the pew, the fabric of his trench coat brushing against the wood. He slipped down the aisle and stood momentarily behind the nun. His breathing intensified as the she turned around to face him and screamed. The monster took hold and clamped a hand over the nun's mouth as he roughly pulled her to her feet. The rosary beads clattered to the floor as he took her to meet her God.

*****

Gerri sat in the locker room, studying the cracks on the concrete bench that sat between the rows of lockers. She had done her second autopsy for the night with Robbins, on her second dead body for the night. Now all she wanted to do was go home. Morning hadn't come soon enough for her, and her body wasn't used to staying up all night. A hot shower and her warm bed sounded wonderful at the moment. She stood and grabbed her jacket and purse from her locker. She closed the metal door and turned the dial on the combination lock. She felt slightly like a student in high school gym class as she left the locker room. She left the building and stepped out into the morning sunshine. Small puddles from the night's rain dotted the parking lot, reflecting the blue sky. She unlocked the Excursion and pulled herself into the driver's seat. As always, the powerful SUV started with a nice roar and she pulled out of her parking space. She didn't see Grissom as he stood just inside the front doors, watching her drive off.

A few minutes later, she pulled into the driveway of her obnoxiously huge home. It was a nice place to bring Jamie up, but it was much larger than either of them really needed. She couldn't balk at the cost, she had received it in the divorce from Craig. She came in through the garage and paused to let Daisy and Frank out of their crates. She walked into the kitchen with the two beagles trailing at her heels. She opened the back door for them and watched as they ran outside to do their business and their morning exploration. She added water and coffee to the coffee maker and sat on a stool by the breakfast bar, relishing the silence. She picked up the remote and turned on the small TV that she kept in the kitchen. An early morning news program came and she left it there, listening to the hosts' happy banter. The coffee maker dinged, signaling the coffee was ready and demanding Gerri's attention. She tossed the filter and grounds and then poured herself a mug of the rich brew. Something changed in the morning show hosts' voices causing her to look back to the TV. They were talking about a murder that had taken place last night. She began to put it off as the one at the Blake residence but stopped. A picture of a smiling nun was flashed on the screen. A nun, killed in a church, stabbed and slashed to death. She stared mutely at the TV, watching them remove the body from the church. She was killed in the sachistry, the on scene reporter said. Gerri tuned out the voice, focusing on someone familiar in the background, standing at the base of the front steps. Gerri cocked her head, looking at Grissom, studying him intently. The ringing of her phone scared her, causing her to spill her coffee. She picked up the portable in the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Gerri? It's Gil. We've had another murder, it's the same MO as the last two." his voice was slightly staticky as it came through the earpiece on the phone.

"I know. I just saw it one the news."

"Can you come down here and give me a hand?" he asked, and Gerri briefly flirted with the idea of asking 'Why me?' but stifled the urge. 

"Let me get Jamie up and dressed. Erin will be here in," she looked at her watch, "Ten minutes. Will twenty five work for you?"

"Fine. St. Patrick's Parish. I'll meet you inside." the connection was broken and Gerri cradled the handset. She shook her head and headed to the stairs. Her first night on the job was yet to be over.

*****


	5. Kyrie

Gerri strode up the steps into the church, meeting Gil just inside the church by the altar. She moved silently and reverently as she came to join him. No matter how long it had been since she had been in one, churches always inspired reverence in her. Traditions and memories came tumbling back to her as she looked around in awe. She smiled slightly at Grissom from the pleasure of being in the church, not from the reason she was here. 

"Gerri, this is Father Dominick, the parish priest." Gerri extended her hand to the priest, noting the heavy sadness in his eyes. 

"Pleased to meet you, Father, though I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances. My name's Gerri Simms."

"The pleasure is all mine." the Father replied. He blinked as he released her hand. "Sister Katherine was well loved in our parish, its such a terrible loss. Who would do such a thing?"

"That's what we are here to find out, Father. Now, if you'll excuse us?" Grissom nodded to the priest and began to walk down the aisle. Gerri too nodded her goodbye to the priest and carried her toolcase, following Grissom down to the sanctuary. She felt the priest's eyes on her as she joined Grissom, but when she turned around, he was gone. She looked at Gil, meeting his dark blue eyes.

"I forgot that you were Catholic." Gil said, pulling on a pair of latex gloves as he reached for the door.

"Non-practicing, like other people I know." the statement was barbed, and she knew it. "He was looking at me, Gil."

"So? He's an ordained priest, not dead, Gerri." Gil admonished her, pulling his flashlight out and turning it on. The light in the sachistry was weak at best, but the blood stains were clearly visible about the room. Gerri donned her gloves and unpacked her camera, quickly assembling it and beginning to snap pictures.

"Eckley handled the body, but he's passing the rest of the case off to us." Grissom informed her as he indicated the broken glass from a candle holder. A long shard was wrapped in the nun's scapular and covered in drying blood. "Murder weapon."

Gerri took a photograph of the shard then lowered the camera. "First blush, Gil?"

"She fought back, like Christine."

_She tried to scream as she was dragged down the aisle. He held her with a steel grip as he opened the door to the sachistry. He threw her into the room, slamming her against one of the candles that burned by the stained glass window. Before she could move, he was atop her, hand pressing against her windpipe. He ripped off her scapular, reaching with his other hand for a long shard of glass from the candle holder. She watched, fear flashing in her eyes, as she watched him fashion the knife. He held her down as he slashed at her, then beginning to stab her. He watched as she bled to death in the sachistry. Then he ran._

"Wow." Gerri whispered after Grissom had finished replaying that for her. She looked around her, eyeing the blood that splattered the wall and floor. Something in a darkened corner caught her eye. She illuminated the corner with her flashlight beam as she stepped closer. She put a finger against the wall, just below what she saw.

"Gil, look at this." she read the words aloud as Grissom stood behind her. "Kyrie elaison, criste elaison."

"Latin. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy." Grissom translated.

"I know that Grissom, I was raised Catholic." she retorted, raising the camera and rereading the words through the viewfinder.

"And apparently, so was our killer."

*****

Grissom had let her leave the scene some four hours later. She sighed as she climbed out of the shower, having let the warm spray ebb away her tension. She again wondered why Grissom had called her to the church, and not one of the other CSIs. Maybe he was trying to evaluate her, decide if he really needed her on his team. Grissom could be cold, but he was not vindictive. Gerri sank into her bed, curling under the soft down comforter. The blackout drapes sealed external light from the room, enfolding her in imitation night. She dreamt of Grissom, dreamt of the words she had found on the wall of the sachistry. Something dark hovered in the back of her mind, casting a shadow over everything else in her dream. Something inside Gerri knew that the darkness would kill her if she didn't stop it first.

*****

He knew her name now. It was scribbled over and over again on the legal pad that sat on the desk before him. He was standing in the shadows when she talked to Dominick. He grinned, knowing the way Dominick looked at her. Dominick liked her too. He lay his pen down and traced the name with his right index finger, unable to feel the paper through the Band-Aid. Gerri Simms. Not very feminine, unlike her. She'd make a good offering to the monster, after he had his fun with her. He smiled and ripped the page off the legal pad and crumpled it into a tight ball. He tossed it across the room in the direction of the wastebasket. He would have to wait for her, though. It was too soon, not after the three last night. He laughed at this thought, he had enjoyed the murders, but who would ever suspect a priest?

*****


	6. You Have To Ask The Hard Ones

Three days had passed since the triple homicide that marked Gerri's initiation into the Las Vegas Criminalistics Bureau. It nagged at the back of her mind as she stood over the table in the layout room, looking at all the evidence they had amassed. Which, she had groused to Catherine earlier, was not much. She held the serrated knife up to the light, looking at it. Blood analysis had proved that it had been used to murder both Jeffrey McKnight and Christine Blake. He had brought it with him to both murder scenes. A glass in the dishwasher at Jeffrey's house turned up with traces of peanut oil. Placing the glass in the dishwasher, straightening the sheets under Christine's body. The man liked to be neat, at least with people he knew intimately. The nun's death was gruesome. A total opposite in the sense of cleanliness he had practiced at the other two murders. She lay the knife back on the table and reached to pick up the glass shard. She was holding it up to the light when she heard the footsteps approach. Gerri slowly turned around to face the visitor, delicately holding the glass shard. Sara paused in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, wavering between walking away and coming inside.

"Nah, going over evidence from the triple homicide." she set the shard down. "Want to help?"

Sara nodded slightly and came inside the layout room, closing the door behind her. "Sure, and I wanted to talk to you about something."

Gerri smiled and nodded, showing no outward trace of the dread that had settled in her stomach. "What do you want to talk about?" she tried to sound casual, watching Sara pull on a pair of gloves.

"Grissom. You said you dated him."

Gerri looked down at the evidence, fingering the glass from Jeffrey's dishwasher. "Yeah. It was a long time ago." 

"Oh. What is he like? I mean outside the office?"

Gerri reflected on that. Gil, outside the office? There was no "outside the office" for Grissom. He was intent on his work, always had a case on his mind. The only time he let go of his job was when he rode rollercoasters, and had sex. "Not much different." Gerri looked at the younger woman. "Why?"

"Promise you won't laugh? Or get angry for that matter?" 

_Uh-oh, territory battle,_ Gerri thought. "I promise. Cross my heart and all that jazz."

"Okay." Sara took a deep breath, "I kinda like Grissom, but I don't think he sees me as anything more than a kid. He doesn't show me any respect, doesn't notice me. I'm just someone he works with, nothing more."

"Ouch." Gerri muttered, "Sara, don't take him so personally." she saw Sara's mouth open to protest but she waved her hand and continued. "I know, I know. It's the opposite of what you would think to do to get involved in a relationship. Gil's just… A little odd in relationships. He's not a people person, and it takes a while to get through the walls he's built around him." 

"So you're saying to back off?" Sara asked.

"A little. If worse comes to worse, treat him the same way he treats you. Knock some sense into him, but I can promise you that it won't happen overnight." Gerri opened her mouth to say something more when something hit her. "What did you say you felt that Gil treated you like?" 

"He doesn't respect me, doesn't notice me. I'm just someone he works with." Sara paused, "Oh, and he treats me like a kid."

"The killer. I think I know why he murdered them." she turned and looked at the photos she had tacked up on the corkboard. "He wants to be noticed because no one ever paid attention to him."

"Makes sense." Sara nodded, "A triple homicide is a great way to get attention."

"Did we find anything in Jeffrey's truck? Prints, trace?"

"Nothing that I know of. It was wiped clean and run through a carwash and vacuumed for good measure by whoever did this. There was blood on the rear seat, but that was from the victim."

"He had to have worn gloves. He didn't leave any prints. But maybe…" she tapped her finger against the glass shard and lifted it, unwrapping the scapular. "I was sloppy. I didn't think to look there." A smear of rusty dried blood was visible on the end of the glass that had been wrapped. 

Sara nodded. "As Warrick said before, Mr. Clean needs a maid."

*****

Work had continued elsewhere in the CSI. Grissom and Catherine were covering the murder of a prostitute. Catherine looked down at the body that now lay unmoving on the examination table. Dr. Robbins stood across from her.

"Shelby Northern. Time of death was about six hours ago. She was shot point blank through the heart." he intoned as Catherine nodded. "Nothing unusual this time, Catherine."

"We found the bullet in the alley where we found her." she shook her head, "I only hate it when they're so young."

Robbins nodded, "Turning tricks at fifteen. What is the world coming to?"

"I don't know, I think I'd lock Lindsey in a closet if she ever did something like this." Catherine shook her head ruefully. "I'll go tell Grissom. Thanks."

Robbins nodded and pulled the sheet back over the girl's body, then watched as Catherine breezed out the doors. Some nights were better than others.

*****


	7. Kiss Me

Gerri fought to get her jacket on as she trotted out the front doors of the lab, running smack in to Grissom in the process.

"Where's the fire, Gerri?" he asked, steadying her as she finally worked her arm through the sleeve.

"I was stupid, sloppy. I forgot something, but now…." she stopped, knowing that she was making no sense whatsoever, and Grissom was giving her a look that confirmed that fact. "I missed a blood smear on the glass shard. I'm heading back down to the church to talk to Father Dominick to see if I can get blood samples from all of those who were in the room from the time Sister Katherine was discovered and the time we got there."

"You think someone from the church did this?" Grissom asked, raising an eyebrow and making Gerri unconsciously think of Spock.

"Maybe. You were the one who said that they had to be Catholic." Both of them looked across the parking lot as Sara impatiently honked the horn in the Tahoe. "Gotta go." Gerri grinned and gave into a passing notion in her head. She stood up on tiptoe and brushed a quick kiss against Grissom's cheek and then dashed off. She hopped into the Tahoe and slammed the door, looking out the windshield at Grissom. The lead CSI was standing there, looking completely shocked and confused. Sara stared at Gerri, astounded at what she had just seen.

"Come on, Sara, go. Step on the gas before he figures it out and comes over here." Gerri urged her, buckling her seatbelt and leaning back in the seat. Sara obeyed and dropped the SUV into drive and took it out of the parking lot. Both women looked into the rearview mirror and saw Grissom shaking his head and turning slowly to enter the building. Gerri burst out giggling.

"What the hell was that?" Sara demanded, looking at Gerri incredulously.

"I honestly don't know." the giddiness wore off rather quickly and she dropped her head into her hands, with a slight smile on her face. "A sudden urge, and I did it."

Sara shook her head, "Braver than I am." she muttered. 

Gerri looked up, with a sudden light in her eyes. "You're not going to be upset with me, are you?" she asked cautiously, dropping back into an old pattern from high school. She had always been overly cautious when attempting a relationship with anyone she knew her friends had liked. 

"No." Sara laughed, "Paranoid lady, aren't you?"

"Just have to make sure. Not that I think there's much hope for Gil and I ever again." she turned with a mischievous grin on her face. "You and Gil, now _that's_ a possibility."

"Right, when he notices that I'm not a toddler anymore." Sara snorted.

"Give him time, Sara. Like I said, it won't happen overnight."

*****

Grissom stalked back to his office, unsure of whether to be happy or upset with Gerri. That girl, _woman_, he correct himself, frustrated the heck out of him. He closed the door halfway when he entered the office and went over to one of the myriad shelves that lined the office. He gently picked up his tarantula's cage and carried it over to his desk. He sat in his chair and carefully opened the lid. He reached inside and gently lifted the spider out, letting her walk across his hands. Handling the tarantula was a sort of meditation for him, something to relax him and allow himself to think. He watched the spiders slow, graceful movements as she traversed the contours of his hands. He let himself fall into silence, replying Gerri's actions over and over in his mind.

The sound of footsteps coming across his office snapped his attention away from the spider. Catherine stood in front of his desk.

"Hello, Cath." he said, offering the tarantula towards her. "Care to hold her? She's very gentle."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Grissom." she sat in the chair watching as Gil replaced the spider in her cage and closed the lid. He stood and carried it back over to the shelf where he had taken it from a few minutes earlier. "Nicky said you looked a little intense when you came inside." she informed him as he sat back down. Grissom vaguely remembered Nick scuttling out of is way as he had went through the hallways. 

"I was."

"May I ask why?" Catherine crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. Grissom sighed and looked towards the ceiling.

"She kissed me." simple reply for Catherine, the result of a not so simple situation.

"Who kissed you Gil?" Catherine was string wide-eyed at him. 

Another sigh. "Gerri. I stopped her to ask where she was going, she was headed back to church to get them to consent to giving us comparison samples. She thinks someone from the church committed the murders. She said goodbye, and then suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed me."

"Full on lips or just a peck on the cheek?" Catherine asked, trying to hide the smile on her face. Grissom gave her a stern look.

"This isn't funny, Cath." it wasn't funny, not to him, it was confusing. "It was on the cheek, and it surprised the heck out of me."

"Surprise isn't always a bad thing, Gil." Catherine admonished him. "Besides, what's the harm of a little kiss on the cheek? Maybe she still likes you."

Grissom grimaced. "That's what I'm afraid of."

*****

"Thank you for taking the time to see us, Father." Gerri said as the were ushered into the priest's small office.

"Of course. We want this matter resolved as quickly as you do. What can I do for you ladies today?" he smiled at them, wondering what they wanted. Instinct told him that he wasn't going to like it very much.

Sara spoke up. "We need to get blood samples from everyone who was in that room before we got here."

"You think someone in the Church committed the murder?" the color drained from his face, and he crossed himself. "Unbelievable, but we will consent to your request. As I said, we want this resolved quickly."

"Thank you, Father." Gerri smiled, "May I ask who was I the sachistry before we came?"

Father Dominick leaned back and thought for a few moments. "Let's see. There was me, of course. One of the altar servers, I believe it was Janet Altman, but she's too young to do something like that." he shook his head slowly. "She was the one who found the body, poor dear. Oh, and there was Father Thomas. Janet got him when she couldn't find me at first. Father Thomas found me a few minutes later and told me what had happened." 

"No one else?" Sara asked.

"No, we three were the only ones."

Gerri nodded and began to stand. "Thank you, Father. If you and Father Thomas could come down to our lab later, we can do the blood samples then." Father Dominick nodded and rose to show his visitors out. 

"We will, in a couple hours? I have to conduct the youth mass tonight."

"That works for us. If you could also contact Janet's parents?" Gerri mentioned as they stepped out the door into the warm evening.

"Of course. You two ladies have a nice evening, and Father Thomas and I will see you soon. God bless."

Gerri and Sara nodded as they walked towards the Tahoe. _We're going to need more than God's blessing on this one, _thought Gerri. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, hoping that Gil wasn't there when they got back. She wasn't quite ready to explain her actions to him, not just yet.

*****


	8. How Well We Remember

The lobby was quiet as Gerri and Sara returned to the lab. Gerri had just about made it past the front desk when the receptionist called her name. Gerri stifled a sigh and turned around to face the receptionist. Sara paused by the door into the lab and watched intently. Gerri trotted over to her holding a pink message slip.

"What's that?" Sara asked, pointing a finger at the message.

"Erin called, Jamie's having nightmares." she shook her head, "And Gil wants to have a chat with me."

Sara grinned. "You're in trouble now."

"Don't I know it. Hey, can you take care of the Fathers when they come in? I'm going to ask Gil if I can dash out of here to get Jamie settled down. After he has his chat, of course."

"Sure. Don't have too much fun." Sara smiled and went off down the opposite hall to the trace lab. Gerri headed to Grissom's office and paused outside the door. She really shouldn't have kissed him earlier. Too late for regrets now. She pushed the half closed door open and stepped into the office, closing it gently behind her. Gil sat at his desk, slightly slumped in his chair letting his orange-kneed tarantula explore his hands. Something told Gerri that he'd been doing this for a while. He looked up at her and offered the spider out to her as she came to the desk. A memory from long ago flashed before Gerri's eyes.

__

Gil offered the tarantula to her and she took it from him as she sat. She avoided looking at him, instead focusing all her attention on the spider. She didn't like insects, or arachnids, but the tarantula didn't really bother her for some reason. She sat in silence, hoping Gil would know why she was here. She carefully passed the spider back to Gil and watched as he placed her back in the cage. He stood and carried it over to a shelf and set it down. He returned to the chair and settled into it, meeting Gerri's eyes.

"I'm leaving, Gil." she told him, not really hearing her words.

"Why?"

"It doesn't work anymore, Gil. You and I, we're too much into our work." he opened his mouth to protest. "I received a post in Cheyenne. I'm leaving on Friday."

He was upset by this, she saw it in his eyes even thought he kept his face carefully controlled. "Wyoming? What do they have that we don't?"

She felt the tears slip from her eyes, it was tearing her heart to pieces to do this. "They don't have you, Gil." she half whispered. "It's not your fault, Gil." she placed her ID, badge, and gun on his desk and rose form her chair. She was gone from the office before he could say anything to convince her to stay. If she listened to him, she'd never leave. 

Coming back to the present, Gerri took the tarantula from him and let her crawl across her hands. Grissom watched her intently. Gerri met his eyes, feeling the spider's barely-there touch on her skin.

"I'm not leaving this time, Gil." she told him, knowing that he was remembering the last conversation that had included a tarantula.

"I know." he reached out for the spider and Gerri passed her back. Gil carefully placed her in the cage, closing the lid and leaving it on the desk. "I have to ask, Gerri."

"I know. It was a passing whimsy. An urge that I followed through on. I shouldn't have, really." she offered her explanation before he asked the question. Same as always, it had been happening for thirteen years. 

"I didn't say anything, Gerri, but thank you for your explanation." he looked at her, catching her slight blush. Teacher and student again, that's how it had begun. Kid in the neighborhood who had developed an interest in forensics. He had taken her under his wing, rescued her from an abusive father. If he had known how the future would turn out when she came back form college, he wouldn't have changed a thing. "How did your trip to the church go?"

"Fine, Fathers Dominick and Thomas are coming down in a bit to give us blood samples. Sara's going to handle that. I needed to ask you something too."

"That is?" he asked, slightly fearful of what she had to ask.

"I need to get home, Jamie's having nightmares again."

A nod. "Go ahead. It's quiet tonight anyway. I'll have Sara and Cath in the lab if I need anyone."

"Thanks, Gil." he stood at the same time she did, and she hesitated. 

"You're not going to kiss me again are you?" he asked, seeing her hesitation.

Her eyes lit up and a grin spread across her face. "Why, Grissom, afraid you'd like it?" she turned and headed out the door. She looked back as she opened the door, Gil was standing behind his desk shaking his head. "Oh, and by the way, be nicer to Sara. She really likes you, you know." and with that, she was gone from the office. Grissom sank back into his chair and pulled an old file from the stack that sat on his desk. Wonders never ceased, especially Gerri.

*****

Gerri pulled into her driveway and noted that all the lights were on the upper level of her home. She walked up the front steps and inserted her key in the lock. She was greeted by two bouncy beagles, who were tumbling over each other in competition for her attention. She closed the door and shook her head. Jamie hadn't put them up before she went to bed. The entryway was flooded with light and Gerri saw Erin standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I just got her to sleep, Mrs. Simms." Erin said, her voice a near whisper, not that it would've bothered anyone if she yelled down here. Jamie couldn't be awakened by anything less then an air horn three feet away. Erin often forgot that Jamie was hearing impaired, at least when the little girl was asleep. Gerri nodded and shed her jacket, hanging it in the closet. 

"Okay, you can go home if you want, Erin. I'm home."

The college girl nodded and grinned. "Thanks Mrs. Simms. Do you need me tomorrow night?"

"No, Jamie's spending the night at her father's."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight then." the girl slipped through the front door, throwing a wave over her shoulder at Gerri. Gerri sighed, closing the door and wishing she were that young again. Life was so much easier then. She locked the deadbolt and headed up the stairs, with Daisy and Frank following at her heels. She looked in on Jamie and saw that the six year old was indeed asleep. She brushed a kiss against her forehead and tucked the comforter back around her. Frank stayed in the room, jumping onto the bed to curl up next to the sleeping child. Daisy trotted alongside Gerri as she headed to the master bedroom. Gerri slipped out of the black pantsuit she was wearing and removed her bra. She slipped into the warmth of her bed and patted the pillow next to her. Daisy jumped onto the bed none too gracefully and settled on the pillow. Gerri was surprised at how tired she was, and was soon asleep. She never heard the back door open and the footsteps that wandered the main level.

*****


	9. Hello, Gerri

Gerri sat curled into the corner of her couch, staring intently at the TV. As many times as she had watched the movie, she never got over it. She wondered what her psychology professor would say if she told him that she was cheering for the bad guy. She laughed it off as she watched the characters on screen. She was so intent on the movie that the doorbell nearly scared her out of her wits. Thumbing the pause button in the remote, she grumbled as the previously quiet beagles ran for the front door, baying and paws skittering on the hardwood. She followed them, peering out the stained glass windows that stood on either side of the door. To her surprise, Grissom stood on the front porch, just shy of the welcome mat. She unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door.

"Good morning, Gil. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" she grinned as Frank slid past her leg, jumping excitedly against Grissom's leg.

"Would you believe I was in the neighborhood?" he replied, bending slightly to pet the beagle. Daisy leaned forward from the threshold to sniff at Gil's pants.

"No, you live on the other side of town, unless you moved recently." she grinned, "Care to come inside?"

"Thank you. Truthfully, I wanted to talk to you, Gerri." Gil said, stepping out of the mid morning sun and into the cool interior of Gerri's home. He removed his sunglasses and slid them into a coat pocket. "Nice house."

"Thanks." Gerri shooed Daisy outside and closed the front door. "Craig insisted I take it in the divorce. Unusual, I know."

A nod from Grissom as she led him down the hallway and into the dim living room. She waved him to take a seat as she settled back into the corner of the couch. Grissom took a seat in the overstuffed chair that sat catty-corner from her corner of her couch. Grissom opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand, stopping him.

"One rule, Gil. I get to finish watching my movie first." 

Grissom looked at his watch, then at Gerri, who was smiling and waving the remote. "Okay. By the way, what are we watching?"

A grin spread across her face as she unpaused the DVD. A man onscreen stood holding a limp woman in his arms, surrounded by what looked like wild boars. "Hannibal."

*****

"This is really going to hurt, you know." came Hannibal Lecter's voice from the TV. Gerri leaned forward slightly, gearing up for her favorite scene from the movie. Grissom watched her out of the corner of his eye, noticing as she tensed up. She really seemed to enjoy this movie, especially the interaction of Hannibal and Clarice. He wondered what about the relationship, or lack thereof, attracted her so much to the film. She giggled a few minutes later as Hannibal fed a piece of brain to a little boy on the plane. She looked over to Grissom, grinning madly as the movie came to an end and the credits began rolling. 

"I always wonder after I watch this movie, what my psychology professor would say if I told him that I was going for the bad guy." she told him, turning off the TV and turning to face him, leaning on the couch arm. "Surprised?"

"You always surprise me Gerri." Grissom replied, not really disturbed by her revelation. 

"Typical Grissom. I'm holding to my promise, you said you wanted to talk."

He shifted slightly in his seat, looking at Gerri, who had her head laying on the arm of the couch. She looked nothing like the intense woman that he had dated nearly ten years earlier. Yet, at the same time, the same intensity burned in her eyes. Outward appearances had changed, but her spirit hadn't. "We got results from the blood test."

Her head shot up as she pulled herself into a more attentive sitting position. "Damn, Gil. Did it match anyone?"

"Father Thomas." 

Her eyes narrowed as she slipped into thought. "The quiet one. He was the one in the shadows when we were talking with Father Dominick. Quiet, unassuming, no one notices him. He's young, they all see him as a kid." she smiled grimly. "How did he know McKnight and Blake?"

"He was their marriage counselor. Brass went over to St. Patrick's to make the arrest, but Father Thomas has disappeared."

"He ran?" she grabbed the remote and turned the TV back on, flipping through the channels until she found a midday news program. Sure enough, the story was on the news. It was the same reporter on scene at St. Patrick's as before. Gerri muted the sound, looking at Grissom. "Anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Warrick and Sara are going to go over his office again this evening."

"Good. Maybe that'll give us an idea where he went. Something tells me that Father Thomas didn't go too far. He's probably still somewhere in Vegas." she shook her head. 

"There is something else that I wanted to talk to you about, unrelated to work." She looked up, attention focused fully on Grissom.

"And that is?" she prompted.

"I was thinking about what you said to me last night, about Sara. I was wondering what you would think if I asked her out to dinner."

Gerri looked aghast and began to clutch her chest. "You're kidding right? Gil Grissom goes out to dinner of his own avail? Are you sure you're feeling okay?" she giggled and grinned at him.

"Yes, I feel fine, Gerri. Thank you for your concern. Are you finished?"

"Yes," she sighed, hushing her giggles. "Hey, this is a _good _thing Gil. Really. Stop giving me that look like you don't believe me. I'm proud of you, Grissom. Have you asked her yet?"

"This morning before we left. I think I sounded like an awkward teenager."

"You never really outgrew that Gil. You're not exactly the most social creature in the world. As for what I think; it doesn't matter what I think. I don't own you Gil, or Sara." she paused, and let the grin slip into a warm smile. "Go have fun, maybe something good will come of it."

*****


End file.
